League sponsorship: Baribote slams NPL

A member of the Nigeria Premier League board, Victor Baribote, has described the NPL sponsorship bid process as illegal.

He said there was a judicial pronouncement nullifying the election of Davidson Owumi as Chairman of the NPL board and any transaction made by the body should be considered illegal.

Baribote said it became necessary to alert corporate organisations with interest in the league sponsorship of the dangers of reaching an agreement with the NPL in spite on the ruling of an arbitration panel headed by Professor Akin Ibidapo-Obe.

He said, “It is also well known to all that the matter between us has long been settled in my favour by the Nigeria Football Federation Arbitration Panel.

”The panel ruled that Owumi is not eligible to contest the NPL election and thus stands disqualified as NPL Chairman. It implies that any sponsorship deal sealed under the NPL leadership of Owumi is null and void. This is because Article 16 of the NPL Statutes clearly states that the Board shall be headed by a Chairman duly elected in accordance with Article 12 and 13 of the NPL Statutes.

“As far as the NPL is concerned, the bidding process for the title sponsorship shall properly commence after the NFF has implemented the judicial pronouncement of the Arbitration Panel headed by Professor Ibidapo-Obe which directed Owumi to vacate the NPL Chairman‘s office. Until the NFF has statutorily resolved this issue, no company should enter into any commercial relationship with the NPL.”

Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201012200545078